Amanda & Drew in Darrow, LA

Amanda and Drew met in eighth grade at McKinley Middle Magnet in Baton Rouge. “We sat next to each other in algebra class,” Amanda says. “I had a crush on him from the very beginning, but I was too shy to do anything about it!” Years later at a high school dance, the crush bloomed: “On the dance floor, Drew asked me to ‘be his girlfriend,’ and we have been together ever since,” Amanda laughs. The Bride Catherine Amanda Ross, 24 The Groom Drew Richard Petersen, 23 The Date June 10 The inseparable duo attended college together at Georgia Tech, but suffered a painful separation when Amanda was involved in a dangerous car accident. While Amanda recovered from serious injuries at her parents’ home in Ohio, Drew made frequent eight-hour drives to visit her, and as soon as Amanda was well, Drew popped the question. While finishing up school in Georgia, Amanda and Drew planned a wedding in their childhood home of Baton Rouge, with the help of Amanda’s mother in Ohio. “Even though we had over two years to plan, it was still difficult being in two different places and so far from the location,” Amanda remembers. “Hundreds of phone calls and emails later we had everything just how we wanted it.” The couple was married in a southern garden saturated with blooms and decorations in Amanda’s signature color, blue.